Invasion
by movieholic
Summary: "Get down on the ground," he demanded; Gun unwavering. "Now."
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: The following story is a mixture of real life events and fiction. The real life events are loosely based on what happened to me and my family a month or so ago. **

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Alexis Castle stretched her arms above her head, as a yawn escaped past her lips. She glanced at her watch, and frowned at the time. It was getting late, where was her father? Shrugging, she removed her open notebook and textbooks off of her lap, and sat them beside her on the long couch. She wasn't going to learn much more by blindly staring at a the blurring words.

"Alexis, dear. Are you still awake?" The cultured voice of her grandmother, Martha, broke into her reverie.

"I'm sorry grams, I just get worried for dad staying out so late sometimes." The two shared a similar look, one of amusement and worry for the man they loved.

"Nonsense," Martha claimed, waving a hand in her direction delicately.

Alexis smiled, her dimpled cheeks only accenting her already youthful face. "I guess I should head off."

Martha placed a kiss on the younger girl's head when she stood. "Good night, kiddo. I'm sure your father will stop in to see you when he finally does come in."

"Yeah," she sighed, "I hope so."

Once again they shared the similar look, before Martha shooed her away good-naturedly. Several minutes later, when it seemed that Alexis had finally settled in upstairs, Martha sat herself on the couch where her granddaughter had been sitting earlier, and peeked at the teenager's neat scrawl on her notes. "Ah, such a wonder," she murmured, feeling a warmth of love in her chest for Alexis.

Eventually she grew tiresome of sifting through the boring texts, and finally pulled herself to her feet. She padded into the kitchen, her bracelets jangling loudly in the dead of night as she rifled through the cabinets for a glass.

"I feel like a good drink." She could almost hear her son retorting, "You _always_ feel like a good drink," and she grinned ruefully to herself.

The sound of the doorknob turning didn't bother her, as she assumed her son finally arrived home. "Hey, kiddo! About time you've got back. Alexis and I were getting worried," she said over her shoulder as she poured her drink of choice for that night. The floor creaked behind her, and she wondered why her son didn't respond as she turned around, beverage in hand. Gasping, she dropped the drink and barely registered the shattering of glass as the masked man before her raised a gun to her head.

"Get down on the ground," he demanded, gun unwavering. "Now."

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**TBC...**

**Please Review.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Once again, loosely based on real life events that happened to myself, and my family.**

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Wordlessly, Martha complied, hands trembling in fear. Glass dug into her palms, but she hardly felt the stinging pain over the thudding of her heart. She could clearly hear him move around her, sneakers crunching with each step, then she felt his gloved hand press her face harder into the ground as he growled, "Don't look at me. Don't move a muscle. Understand?"

"Yes," she breathed, voice cracking.

"Where does he keep the cash?" Martha was caught off guard, but didn't dare move. His voice sounded so normal, as he if was discussing the weather. "Hey, lady!" The shadow of his lean body towered above hers as he repeated, "Where does he keep the damn cash?"

As he waited for her response, she could clearly hear him ripping the cords from blenders, and toasters out of the sockets. He was suddenly above her again, roughly pulling her arms back and tying them up with the ripped cords, before moving down to her feet and doing the same. Martha could feel her skin crawling, despite the fact that he wore black gloves.

"You listening? Where's he keep the money!" he was shouting, and Martha could almost assume he thought she was alone in the house, otherwise he'd had been more quiet. She could feel tears pricking her eyes as she thought of her innocent granddaughter upstairs, sound asleep and oblivious. And when she thought the situation was bad enough, the sound of another intruder nearly had her sobbing.

"Yo man," the second man started, "Where should I start?"

From her position on the floor, she could see that the two men were wearing identical clothing. Blue jean shorts, black T-shirts, gloves, sneakers, and a white T-shirt with holes cut out for their eyes over their faces. They appeared to be African-American from their skin color, and to have tattoos on their forearms. But she couldn't make out the designs with her red hair covering her eyes.

"Start upstairs," the gunman told him, adding, "I'll check it out down here."

Martha's heart was now in her throat. Alexis!

"Grams?"

No!

"Shh...what was that?" The man without the gun moved to her side and nudged her hard with his shoe. "Who the hell is here?"

The gunman was already running up the stairs, and down the hall, sneakers squeaking with each step. Martha felt sick.

As Martha fought the urge to vomit downstairs, Alexis was sitting up in bed, rubbing at her eyes tiredly. She could have sworn she heard voices. Maybe her father had finally come home? She opened her mouth again to call out, when the door to her bedroom swung open and revealed a masked figure. Wielding a gun.

"What's going on?" she called out, confused. An odd feeling flitted through her stomach, as if she knew something was not right, but hoping to God to wake up from a bad dream.

The gunman didn't move, aside from motioning with his gun for her to get up.

"What are you doing?" she questioned, eyes widening with each second as the sleepiness faded away, and terror started to settle in. "I don't understand," she added in an inaudible whisper.

The gunman moved forward as she stepped towards the door. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her down the hall, heading towards the stairs. "Keep your mouth shut."

All Alexis could think was, What kind of sick joke was this?

And when she heard the muffled crying of her grandmother, she felt her heart skip a beat. "Grams!" The gunman pulled her around the large counter, and she saw Martha lying on her stomach, hands and ankles bound together by crudely cut cords.

"Alexis! Please don't hurt her!" cried Martha, attempting to lift her head up from the glass littered floor. "Please don't hurt her!"

Alexis, shocked at the surreality of the situation, could only look around at the two men with her mouth gaping open, with tears streaming down her face.

"Dee, change of plans. Stay down here, I'll take the girl back upstairs, see if she's knows where daddy keeps the cash," the man with the gun said. He roughly pulled Alexis to her feet, and tugged her back up the stairs, even going as far as pulling her hair and steering her like that. She cried out in pain, stumbling to her knees when they entered her father's bedroom.

"Where's he keep the cash little girl?" He demanded, pointing the gun at her.

"I don't know," she responded meekly.

"What you mean 'don't know?'" he growled, moving forward as if to strike her. She cowered back as he said, "Where the hell does the man keep the money?"

"I really don't know," Alexis claimed, her voice wavering with emotion. "I don't know!"

"Useless." He pushed her away as he began to rifle through all the drawers and cabinets he could find in Castle's room, turning towards her with the weapon. "Get working. Go through those drawers, and find me the money." She hesitated, before complying.

Opening one drawer, she awkwardly pulled out her father's boxers and socks, throwing them to the ground behind her as she began to pick up speed. She opened another and repeated the action, going through two more before the man stopped her and motioned towards a walk-in closet. "He keep a safe?"

"I don't know."  
"Man, you don't know anything do you!" he sounded angry, but stalked into the closet and began to pull out clothes and shoes, tossing them out in the increasingly messy room. After several minutes, he returned and grabbed her arm again. "He keep any real jewelry here? Watches, necklaces, bracelets..."

"I think so," she replied, and wished she could hit herself in the head. Of course he did, he was Richard Castle! Famous, and rich, novelist. The gunman seemed to agree, as he chuckled and began to go through the cabinets holding the expensive items. Inspecting them before placing them in his pockets, he finally finished and pointed to the floor.

"Get down," he demanded, and waited till she was lying on her stomach before he moved to find some material to tie her up with. He came up with a woman's nylon pantyhose, presumably left by one of Castle's conquests, but he didn't ask questions as he tightly tied Alexis' hands behind her back. He searched through the huge pile of clothes on the floor for something to bind her ankles, but came up empty.

"You a virgin?" he questioned casually, entering the adjoining master bathroom as Alexis lay shivering on the floor.

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**TBC...**

**Please Review.**


	3. Chapter 3

"Yes," she whispered.

"Yeah? Girl as pretty as you? That's crazy." Alexis closed her eyes at his tone, and at the crashing noises he was making in the bathroom, probably going through the cabinets and drawers in there as well. He reappeared, his stance shifty. A crash downstairs had him running out of the room, shouting, "Dee! The hell you doing?"

Dee called back upstairs, "Sorry fam! Dropped somethin'."

"Well, keep it down!"

He reappeared, grabbed a pair of jeans from the floor and tossed them across the room, watching as they landed over Alexis' face, obstructing her view. "Don't look at me."

She only whimpered.

Downstairs, Dee was disconnecting any electronic he could find, and attempting to tear any he couldn't get unplugged away from the wall. He stuffed a girly iPod he found on the couch into his back pocket with a shrug, before freezing. They closed the front door behind them coming in, but someone was turning the knob, entering the apartment. He ran forward, and ducked behind the counter, placing a hand over Martha's mouth.

Footsteps sounded as they slowly padded over to the counter, before pausing. They turned and headed towards the office as a male voice called out, "Mother? Alexis? I'm home."

The sound of his partner in crime, a man he affectionately called "Fam," short for family, running down the stairs made him smile.

Castle, who had paused in the doorway of his study, cocked his head to the side. Something didn't seem right...was it the fact that the majority of the lights were off? Or was it the near deafening silence? But the footsteps made him smile. Alexis waited up for him. As he turned to greet her, he suddenly reeled back and clutched at his face, where a pistol had just struck him. "The hell!" he grunted, until a shove caused him to fall on the ground. Suddenly a fist hit him in the same spot as the gun, and a kick to the forehead had him seeing stars. He was rolled on his stomach quickly, then his ankles and hands were yanked behind him and he cried out in pain. "Easy! That hurts!"

"Shut up," the man called Fam demanded, before striking him again with the pistol. In no time at all, Castle was tied up and groaning in pain.

"What the hell is going on? What do you want?" Fear gripped his heart. "Where's my daughter? And my mother? Where are they!" he struggled to roll over, to do anything from his position, but the cords were biting into his skin, and his face ached and throbbed.

"Richard Castle," Fam crowed. "Famous, and loaded, right?"

"What?" he gasped. It was hard to breathe when his ribs were grinding against the hard ground with each move or breath he made. Blood tricked down his aching cheek, pooling slowly on the floor. "Where's my family?"

"They're fine, Mr. Castle. We don't hurt kids."

That sounded cryptic. "What about women? Where is my mother you son of a-" a swift kick to the back of his head shut up him quick.

"They're. Fine." He grabbed Castle by his bound ankles and dragged him out of the study and into the kitchen, ignoring the hisses of pain. Castle finally caught sight of a familiar red head, and cried out, "Mother!" in relief.

"Richard!" she replied, crying freely now.

"Are you okay?" he gasped, blue eyes widening at the tiny cuts on her face from the glass. "Did they hurt you?"

"I'm fine," she gasped, before adding, "Alexis...she's upstairs."

Castle closed his eyes, resting his forehead on the ground, ignoring the sharp pricks of glass embedding themselves in his skin. He attempted to free his hands from their tight binding, but to no avail. "Alexis," he groaned, anger and terror clawing at each for domination in his chest.

"The girl's fine," Dee said over his shoulder. He was back in the living room area, pulling whatever he could away from the wall and moving them out in front of the door. He continued placing small items he could hold in his pockets as Fam paced about angrily.

"Enough chit-chat, Castle! Where do you keep the money?" Fam grabbed Castle by the back of his neck, digging his gloved fingers into his flesh hard enough to leave bruises.

"Money? I don't keep money in the house-" he claimed desperately.

"You're lying. Where is it?"

"Who are you?" Castle shot back, trying to lift his head up to meet the masked-man eyes. His own blue ones glittered with hatred.

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**TBC...**

**Please Review.  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: A big thank you to all those who read, and reviewed this story (or who added it to their story alert.) And also for all the concern and sympathies. Thank you.**

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"Don't matter."

"Fam, we should leave. I think I hear sirens."

"Shut up Dee! It's friggin' New York, 'course you hear sirens!" Fam was getting extremely agitated with each passing second, and Castle feared that he would eventually pull the trigger. He could only pray that the man shot him, instead of the women.

After a tense beat, Fam crouched down and grabbed Castle by his hair, yanking his head up in an uncomfortable angle. It was harder to breathe, and Castle began to choke at the lack of air as the brown eyes of the man bore into his. Finally he let go and turned to Dee. "Get the girl, bring her down. And get some shit to gag 'em with." He turned toward the electronic equipment by the door. "And tie them up better!"

"Yeah," Dee responded, before running up the stairs. He returned a minute later with a tied up Alexis draped over his shoulder. He dropped her on the ground none too gently, and she cried out in pain as she hit the floor next to her father.

When she opened her eyes, she shouted, "Daddy!"  
"Oh Alexis, baby, are you okay?" Oh how he wanted to wrap his arms around her and cradle her, and wrap his hands around the intruders' throats. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

"I'm okay," she managed to gasp around her tears, "I'm okay, daddy."

Before he could reply, a cloth material was shoved into his mouth, and he fought the urge to gag. He watched as the men did the same to the other two. Martha managed to slow down her breathing, and as calmly as one could, breathe through her nose. Alexis struggled as she panicked, on the verge of vomiting.

Castle attempted to indicate to her that she needed to breathe, but fought his own urges. The two men shouted at one another by the door, until they finally opened it and took off, leaving it wide open, and all the large electronics in front of it. He turned back, wild-eyed, to his girls. Alexis looked as though she would pass out, so he tried to soak up the gag in his mouth in order to soften it, then spit it out. The cotton feeling in his mouth paled in comparison to his pain and raging emotions, but he ignored them all to asked, "Can you breathe, baby? Can you two breathe?"

Martha nodded, her blotchy face blood speckled. Alexis shook her head, struggling to spit out the shirt in her own mouth.

"Don't panic, Alexis. Control your breathing, sweetie," he coached, all the while working his hands around the thick cords in order to get the blood flow going. After several seconds, he managed to free one hand and quickly worked it into his jacket, where his cellphone was kept. He sped dialed a familiar number: Kate Beckett.

"Beckett."

"Kate? Kate, thank God," he gasped.

"Castle? What's wrong?" She sounded both defensive and worried.

"We were robbed, we need cops here now. They're, we're tied up-Get here now, please." He could hear the begging in his hoarse voice, but he didn't care.

"This isn't some-"

"Kate! Please!"

"Okay, okay Castle. I'm on my way. I'll be there soon."

"Thank you," he sighed, before he was met with a steady hum from the phone. He began to free his other hand, and when he finally managed that, he worked on his ankles. Free of all the binds, he grabbed a kitchen knife and started on Alexis' binding. It took several minutes of sawing, but as soon as she was free, she threw herself into his arms. He hugged her as tightly as possible, pressing his face against hers, as he ran a hand through her hair. "Okay, okay Alexis. I need you to let go now, so I can free mother, okay? I love you, sweetheart. I love you," he repeated as many times as he could as Alexis finally released him, and sat against the kitchen counter on the floor. The floor was slick with tears and blood, the majority of the red liquid coming from the deep abrasion on her father's face.

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**TBC...**

**Please Review.  
**


	5. Chapter 5

When Martha was released, she grabbed her son in a tight hug and pressed her face into the crook of his neck. "I love you Richard," she said, her voice breaking with emotion.

Castle gently pulled Alexis across the floor and into his arms, and that was how Kate and the other detectives found the family. Amid a nearly destroyed apartment, sitting on the floor in a tight embrace. Eventually they pulled apart and allowed themselves to be checked by the paramedics, expect for Castle, who refused to be looked over until he took note of all the damage.

Kate followed silently as he went through each room. Each was a mess. Clothing strewn about, personal items carelessly tossed, paper and books in unusual places. Kate fought a gasp as they progressed through each room, but Castle remained deathly silent, his jaw clenched tightly, and his eyes glimmering with unshed tears.

"I hate to do this now, Castle," she began, motioning to her notepad, "But I was the responding officer. And despite the fact that I work homicide, I still need to take notes. Ask you questions..."

"Yeah," he grunted absently.

"Castle?" she reached out and gently touched his arm, reeling back in shock when he flinched violently. "I'm so sorry, Rick, I didn't-"

"No," he said sharply. "It's okay."

Kate began to protest again, but could see that it wouldn't have any effect on him. Instead, she slowly placed her notepad on the nearest table, and gently placed a hand on his broad shoulder. It was a simple, yet comforting gesture. He did it to her once, she could certainly do it for him.

The two stood like that for several minutes, until the sound of shuffling feet and a clearing throat brought them back to the present.

"Are we interrupting?" Esposito asked carefully, as he and his partner, Ryan, stepped into the room. They both wore identical expressions of concern and determination.

Castle's eyes darted to the ground as he removed himself from Kate's touch. She looked hurt, until understanding flickered in her eyes, and she resumed her usual attitude. "What have you got?" she questioned, down to business when she approached them.

Esposito cast a look over her shoulder, towards Castle's uncharacteristically still frame, and mouthed, "He is okay?"

Ryan, brow furrowed, nodded, as if to agree with the line of questioning.

Kate took a moment, torn between glazing it over for Castle's benefit, or bluntly telling the two the truth. She decided on the latter as she said, "No," then repeated, "What have you got?"

"According to Alexis and, well, Martha," Ryan stumbled, unused to calling her by her first name, "There were two men, wearing identical clothing. One had a gun."

"Were they wearing gloves? Masks?" Kate questioned.

Esposito nodded. "White tees over their heads, and black gloves."

"So no hope of getting any prints, huh?" she said, mostly to herself, but the other two nodded in agreement.

"CSU's collecting everything anyway, but they don't really expect to get any hits."

Kate took a moment to look back at Castle, and noticed that he had moved further away from them. She turned back and asked, "How'd they get in?"

"Same question we asked and apparently the intruders," Esposito started as Ryan finished with, "Jimmied the front door."

"Any chance this is someone with a grudge? A connection to Castle, or his family?" Ryan asked after a brief lull in the talk.

Kate shook her head, as she bit her bottom lip. "I don't think so, no. Everything is too messy, unorganized...I think this was truly a random act."

"Man..." Esposito sighed, scratching the back of his head.

"What?" his partner asked, looking between Kate and Esposito in confusion.

"They're the hardest ones to solve," Kate explained, before once again turning to look over at Castle. This time, he was standing by the window, looking out aimlessly over the city.

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**TBC...**

**Please Review.**


	6. Chapter 6

When it looked like Castle wouldn't be moving from his spot by the window anytime soon, Beckett motioned for the other two to exit the room with her. She left the door slightly ajar when they entered the hallway, and pulled them into a loose huddle.

"Damn," Esposito murmured, scratching the back of his head. Beckett and Ryan could only nod in agreement. After a brief moment of silence, Beckett took control of the situation and looked down at her sparse notes.

"Okay, I won't have much of an idea of what went down here until I speak to Castle..." she trailed off, then cleared her throat. "What about the other two? Anything solid?"

Esposito sighed heavily and looked down at his own notes. "Nothing solid. Two men," he flipped through the notebook. "One gun. Masked, wearing gloves..." he shook his head. "Nothing to help with identifying these bastards."

"Dee," a low voice said from the doorway. The trio jumped and turned to see Castle, rubbing his red and chafed wrists, standing behind them. "One man, the one without the gun, was called Dee." He looked down at the floor, and Beckett was reminded of the twelve-year-old, only not the familiar one she knew so well. Castle looked at his wrist, just realizing that he had been subconsciously rubbing it, before cocking his head the side. He studied his forearm, and the trio of detectives looked at one another in confusion.

"Everything okay-" Beckett began to ask before she was cut off.

"Tattoos. They both had tattoos on their forearms." He motioned up and down, and around his own arm, in demonstration. "They were hard to see, but they each had some ink on their arms."

"That's good," Beckett nodded, pulling her pen out and beginning to jot down as much as she could. "Anything else?" Castle looked at her, as if seeing her for the first time.

"I'm sorry?"

"I said," she looked over at Esposito and Ryan in concern, "Anything else?"

"No..." he shook his head, and looked away, seemingly lost. "No."

"Are you okay, bro?" Esposito asked, taking a step forward.

When he didn't respond, Ryan cut in with a, "Hey-"

But Castle took a step back when he spoke, and snapped his eyes to meet Ryan's. "Say that again...just like you did."

Ryan gave the other two a confused look, but at Beckett's nod, he repeated what he had said. Castle tilted his head, as if analyzing the tone. "The neighbor," he whispered, then cleared his throat and looked at the others. "The neighbor!" he seemed so much like his usual self that the others were slightly confused at his reaction.

"What about the neighbor?" Beckett questioned.

Castle's blue eyes were on her quickly. "The neighbor, one apartment down from here. Whenever I see him we usually greet each other, ask how each others day went, and the like...Tonight though, he was acting odd."

Beckett's eyes lit up on that one, and she leaned forward, ready to hear more. "Odd? How so?"

Castle pulled away from the door, and Beckett could almost believe this was just another case.

"He seemed nervous. Kind of just standing there, shifty-eyed, and he only said 'Hey,' but it was his tone..." Castle trailed off, then took a step back. "Then I came in, and..." he motioned to his head absently, "I was struck."

As Beckett wrote this down, she snapped her fingers at the other two men, and they both said, "On it," before turning on their heel and jogging away from Beckett and Castle.

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**TBC...**

**Please, please review.**


	7. Chapter 7

Twenty minutes later, Esposito and Ryan entered Castle's apartment with identical expressions of annoyance and guilt. They easily maneuvered around the wrecked room, until they made it to the couches, where the Castle family sat in near silence. Beckett stood off to the side, casting the family looks of concern every few seconds, as she spoke to a techie in low tones.

When she looked up again, and saw her detectives' expressions, she sighed and excused herself from the conversation.

"Nothing?" she asked, her voice coming off a tinged exasperated.

Esposito shook his head as he replied, "Nada," while Ryan said, "Zip."

"Damn it," Beckett murmured, placing a hand on her hip, and half turning to look back at Castle on the couch. His arms were slung around each of his ladies, his daughter curled into his lap, and his mother holding a wad of tissues to her eyes. His expression was blank.

As Beckett studied them, Esposito spoke up and said, "Went over, neighbor wasn't there. Mother was. She said that her son doesn't actually live there, but on the outskirts of the city. He just visits often."

Ryan picked up from there with, "Yeah, and we had someone run a background check on the neighbor, and get this-"

"He has several priors. Including drug use and-"

"Let me guess, robbery?" Beckett effectively cut off her team.

Esposito and Ryan shared a look of deflation, but they nodded.

"Okay," she looked around the room, "I can't see you guys getting anything more from just standing around here, so I want you two back at the station. Ryan, I want anything you can get on this neighbor. Everything from his childhood to his eye color." She turned on Esposito, ignoring Ryan's murmured, "Brown," and said, "I want you to ask around, see if you can't find this Dee. Got it?"

The two nodded, then turned on their heels and walked out briskly. Before she could turn around herself, a voice in her ear caught her off guard.

"Find anything?"

"Castle," she said, with a frown, "When did you get so good at sneaking up on people?"

A brief, ghost of a smile, flitted across Castle's haggard face. It came and went so quickly, Beckett wasn't sure if he even did smile. Instead of answering, he said, "I'm taking them to Chet's for tonight." Beckett could only nod. Who was this exhausted, worn down man before her? "I'll figure out the rest tomorrow."

"Okay," she replied, her voice nearly caught in her throat. "Okay, Castle, that's fine." Beckett studied his face, and realized he had yet to have his face looked at. "Why don't we get your face checked out?"

Castle looked at her, in confusion, raising a hand to his cheek, where he could feel a deep abrasion. He winced as he gingerly prodded the purplish bruising. Nodding in concession, he allowed Beckett to gently grasp his wrist and lead him to a paramedic. She noted that he didn't flinch this time.

Settling down onto a kitchen stool, Castle kept his half-lidded gaze on his family, while Beckett stood beside him. The paramedic made quick work of cleaning and bandaging the wound, directed Castle to ice his face as soon as he felt up to it. Beckett thanked the young man, but not before asking if painkillers were alright to take at the time.

"He doesn't seem to have a concussion, so I don't see the harm in allowing him to take one or two," he claimed, before taking his leave.

Beckett stood for a moment, just watching, until she took a deep breath. "Hey? You ready to leave yet?"

"What?" Castle looked up at her, confused.

"To Chet's. It's really late, and I'm sure Martha and Alexis could use some sleep right now. And you too." She glanced at her watch, and over to the two women.

Castle blinked hard, then replied, "Would you mind taking them over? I plan on staying here tonight."

Beckett looked surprised.

"Are you sure, Castle? You should really get some sleep."

He looked up at her, and she had trouble ever picturing him as a happy, charming man, as he asked, "Do you really think I'm going to get some sleep tonight, Kate?"

"No, I guess not." After a brief pause, she motioned for a detective to come over, and quietly spoke to him, before turning to Castle. "Detective Kinsella is going to take Martha and Alexis, and I'm staying here with you."

This time Castle was the one surprised.

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**TBC...**

**Please, please review? I appreciate them. **


	8. Chapter 8

_"Do you really think I'm going to get some sleep tonight, Kate?_

Despite what he said, Castle was fast asleep from exhaustion the second his head hit his pillow. Beckett smiled softly from the doorway of his bedroom, glad he was finally resting. He had spent several hours attempting to clean up the wrecked apartment, ignoring Beckett's suggestions for rest or food until he could barely keep his eyes open. She carefully led him upstairs to his room, where he threw himself across his bed, fully clothed. Now she stood, keeping vigil.

Casting one last sweeping glance across his prone form, Beckett quietly stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her. She checked her watch, the one he had so kindly found and fixed for her when she thought it had burned in a fire meant to kill her, and noted it was nearing four in the morning. Raking a hand through her hair, she sighed and made her way downstairs.

After checking, and rechecking, each window and door, Beckett finally unholstered her gun and sat heavily on Castle's couch.

"What a night," she murmured to herself.

Beckett yawned widely, before removing her jacket and shoes. Then she leaned back and snuggled onto the couch, pulling one of the throw pillows close to her body. In minutes, she too was fast asleep.

It was five in the evening when Castle rolled over onto his back with a low groan, rubbing at his eyes sleepily. Sitting up slowly, he looked at his watch, and shook his head at the time. He had been sleeping since four in the morning…so why did he still feel so tired?

"Because you've been sleeping all day," a voice said.

Castle looked up and saw Beckett in his doorway, a small smile on her face. He self consciously began trying to push down the hair he knew was sticking up at the back of his head as he mumbled, "What?"

Beckett stepped into the room, and explained, "You're still tired because you've slept all day. I remember the feeling…when I used to be able to sleep in." She laughed gently.

Castle offered her a crooked smile, still trying to wake up. He swung his legs off the bed, planted his feet on the floor, and threw his arms into the air, in an attempt to stretch his achy muscles. As he did so, a flare of pain lanced through his face. He groaned and gently touched the wound.

"You okay?"

He nodded slowly. "Yeah, just a little sore."

"I bet," she said, with a nod of understanding. She motioned to the pain killer and glass of water on his nightstand. "I brought those up not too long ago. Water should still be cool."

Castle gave her an appreciative smile, and carefully grabbed the bottle and glass. After taking two pills, and a swallow of water, he thanked her.

"No problem." After a pause, she added, "Alexis has been wanting to talk to you all day, so as soon as you're up to it, let me know."

"Why didn't you wake me?" he questioned, his brow furrowed. He didn't seem angry, just curious.

"You needed the sleep."

After a beat, he nodded again. "Thanks."

"No problem." She studied him, then offered her cell to him. "Here, call your daughter."

Castle took the offered phone and thanked her again. Beckett left the room, allowing Castle some privacy, and went back downstairs.

She stood in his kitchen, a little unsure of herself. She bit her bottom lip, then opened his fridge and pulled out the ingredients for an omelet. It may have been dinner time, but living as a single woman didn't improve her cooking skills. If anything, she improved her phone dialing skills.

After flipping the steamy egg onto a plate, she grabbed a bottle of water and took both the food and beverage upstairs. She knocked on Castle's bedroom door, then entered. He was finishing up his call with, "I love you too, sweetheart."

When he hung up, he looked over to the food she held and gave her a genuine smile. "I could get use to this, Beckett."

She laughed. "Well, don't Castle." She handed over the offered items, and watched as he practically scarfed down the food. "Wow," she claimed, "I should have made more."

She sat on the edge of his bed, accidentally bumping his side. He moved over to make room, continuously munching. "How are you feeling?"

He glanced over at her, chewing slowly now. After swallowing a bite, he shrugged. "I'm okay," he said. It seemed like he would say more, but then he took another bite. So Beckett nudged him. "Come on...go ahead and tell me how you really feel. You've never held back before." She smiled playfully, trying to lighten the mood. But it faded away when she realized that he actually may start talking to her.

He placed the plate and glass on the nightstand, then sat quietly, trying to convey his thoughts into words. Something that never happened to him before. Finally he shrugged and told her, "Honestly, I'm fine," and before she could interrupt he quickly added, "I am. I've been through worse situations before, Beckett, you and I both know that. But seeing my...my daughter and my mother..." he trailed off and took a breath. "I never believed that something like this would, or could, ever touch my family. I mean, what if I didn't come home when I did?" Castle turned to her, his eyes wide at the realization. "What would have happened?"

Beckett met his eyes, and shook her head. "I don't know, but you can't sit here and think on 'what if's,' but think about the fact that your family is alive. No one was hurt."

He cocked a brow, and she shook her head and motioned to his cheek wound. "What? That little thing?" Her tone was light, and it seemed to do the trick. He smiled.

"You're right."

"I know."

* * *

**TBC...**

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**


	9. Chapter 9

Four days later, Alexis and Martha returned home. Castle welcomed his family with a comforting hug. "I missed you guys," he sighed into Alexis' red hair.

"I missed you too, daddy."

Martha gave him a watery smile, a placed a hand on his healing cheek. "Hey, kiddo."

"Mother," he said, grabbing her hand, and holding it within his larger one.

Beckett watched from afar, observing the family with a small pang of jealousy. She quickly squashed the feeling when Alexis' body impacted with hers, in a fierce hug. "Kate!" she exclaimed happily. Beckett hugged the teen back.

"Hey, Alexis. How are you?"

"Been better," she sighed. "I'm just really tired is all."

"Then you better go take a nap," her father suggested from behind.

Instead of arguing about being too old for naps, Alexis surprisingly agreed and hugged her father again, before heading upstairs. The three adults shared a look, before Beckett turned to Martha and asked, "How is she holding up?"

"The poor girl has been having nightmares since..." she trailed off. "Since _it_ happened." If the conversation hadn't been so serious, Beckett would have laughed at Martha's conspiratorial whisper.

Castle cast a worried look towards the stairs.

"What about you?"

Martha looked surprised. "I'm...fine, dear. I've had Chet to talk to...I've tried to speak to Alexis, but she's been hesitant to open up about it."

"That doesn't sound like her," Castle remarked, the furrow in his brow deepening.

"If you'd like, I can give you a list of names of local therapists-"

"That'd be great," Castle said quickly, eager to help his daughter in any way. He checked his watch, and sighed. "Mother, I hate to leave so soon after you two arrived, but Beckett and I need to head down to the precinct."

Martha waved her hand in the air, and started for the kitchen. "Go on, Richard, we'll be fine for a few hours."

Castle took a deep breath, concern for his family etched in every line of his face. "I don't want to leave you guys alone again."

"Don't be silly," Martha sighed as she opened the fridge. "We must move on."

Beckett placed a hand on his broad shoulder when his look of distress didn't lessen. "We can always go down later," she offered.

"No," he said, "No, she's right. We need to move on."

Martha's look of surprise at her son's admission was evident on her face, but she chose not to comment. She watched as her son gave in, and grabbed his coat.

"I'll be back as soon as possible, mother. Keep the door locked, and don't answer it for anybody without a badge. Okay?"

"Okay," she said, with a slight roll of her eyes.

"Mother..." Castle gave her a steady look, a weak glare in a sense, but she finally consented with, "Okay, okay."

Castle and Beckett left, making sure the door was securely locked behind them.

Not two hours later, a loud banging awoke Martha and Alexis from their afternoon naps. When Alexis peeked through the peephole, she gasped.

"Who is it?" Martha asked, a few feet behind her.

Alexis' lip wobbled as she turned around.

"Our neighbor."

* * *

**TBC...**

**Please review.  
**


	10. Chapter 10

_ "Who is it?" Martha asked, a few feet behind her._

_ Alexis' lip wobbled as she turned around._

_ "Our neighbor."

* * *

_

Martha's hand flew to her mouth, as her eyes widened in fear. After a moments hesitation, she quickly placed a shaky hand on Alexis' shoulder and steered her away from the door.

"Go and call your father, dear," she commanded in a firm, yet gentle tone of voice.

Alexis, brow furrowed, could only nod before stepping to the side and pulling her phone out. She quickly dialed her father's cell number, and prayed he would pick up soon. Both women jumped when the man on the other side of the door pounded even harder, even ringing the bell a few times in between harsh knocks.

Martha grabbed a stool and placed it underneath the doorknob. The door shook with the force behind each powerful knock, and Martha cast a pleading look towards her granddaughter. Alexis looked up and met her eyes.

"Okay, daddy. We will...I love you." She hung up and said, "He's on his way, with backup. He also told us to stay put, and whatever we do, do _not_ answer the door."

"I figured as much," Martha responded with a shaky laugh.

Together they waited, until the neighbor retreated ten minutes later. They looked at one another, unsure. After another ten minutes had passed, Martha peeked through the peephole, and noted the empty corridor with a sigh of relief.

"Oh thank God," she murmured, placing a hand on her forehead. "I thought he'd never go away."

"Me too," Alexis added, her voice soft.

Martha pulled the younger woman into a comforting hug, until another knock sounded at the door. They flinched, before looking at one another.

"Could be dad," Alexis suggested.

"Could be, kiddo."

Alexis timidly peeked, and sagged against the door with relief when she saw her frightened father on the other side, a horde of officers behind him. She quickly threw aside the chair, and undid the locks, before she fell into her father's strong embrace.

"We're okay," she assured him. He still stepped back and looked her up and down to be sure, before pulling her in close for another hug. Castle looked at his mother questioningly, silently asking her if she too was all right. Martha gave him a firm nod.

"Thank God," he breathed, before pulling away and looking down the hall to his neighbor's apartment door. He gave his family a stern look. "You two stay here. I think I need to pay our neighbor a friendly visit."

"Richard," Martha warned, her voice tinged with worry.

The officers behind him had already entered the apartment next door, questioning the confused and annoyed mother.

"He just left, not ten minutes ago. Said he had errands to run," she snapped. Her brown eyes widened when Castle barged into her apartment, his large bulk putting her ill at ease. "I don't know what you think he did-"

"He came over to my home, frightened my family-" Castle too was interrupted from his brewing rant by Beckett.

"Castle!" She turned to the officers spread out in the neighbor's apartment and shook her head. "All clear. Hit the streets."

They all nodded and left the mother, Castle, and Beckett alone. Castle grit his teeth, and clenched his fists.

"How can you live with yourself?" he growled. "How can you sleep at night, knowing you raised a monster? What have we ever done to you, or to your family?"

Beckett stepped forward, and placed a hand on Castle's forearm. "Castle, it's not her fault."

The mother raised her chin in the air, sniffing pompously. "Damn straight it isn't."

"Where is he?" Castle demanded, undeterred by Beckett's tightening grip.

"I told you. I don't know."

Castle took a deep breath, and flared his nostrils. "If I ever find out you knew anything..." he trailed off angrily.

The walkie-talkie crackled, and Beckett stepped away from the two in order to answer it. "Beckett." She listened closely, then smiled. "Great work. Take him to the station, we'll meet you there." She clipped the talkie back on her belt, then placed her hand back on Castle's forearm, this time gently. "Castle? We got him."

* * *

**TBC...**

**Thank you all so far for your reviews, alerts, and concerns. **

**Please continue reading, and reviewing. **

**I appreciate it!  
**


	11. Chapter 11

Despite Castle's adamant protestations, Beckett made him stay home with his family as she went to interrogate his next-door neighbor. Leaving an officer outside his door, she gave Castle a firm nod, and ignored his dark glare when he shut the door to his apartment.

Castle sighed heavily, and turned to see his mother and daughter standing in the kitchen, looking forlorn. His heavy mood lightened, and he took a few steps forward, and welcomed a bear hug from Alexis. He kissed the top of her head, before resting his cheek there.

"I'm really glad you're okay," he said seriously.

"I know," Alexis replied, a comforted smile forming on her face.

Castle held her a moment longer, before pulling away and clearing his throat. He clapped his hands together as he said, "How about something to eat?"

Alexis' smile widened as she nodded while Martha rolled her eyes and exclaimed teasingly, "Honestly, Richard."

Not long after, the three sat down together to enjoy their food as a family. As they were finishing, Castle placed his fork down and watched the two of three most important women in his life. Eventually, Alexis felt his steady eyes on her and she looked up curiously.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he replied, offering her a see through smile.

Alexis also placed her fork down, then crossed her arms and leaned forward. "Dad, what's wrong?"

Martha continued eating, although she appeared to be listening.

"It's nothing, really. I just wanted to see how you two are doing." Castle looked away, almost sheepishly, which surprised the two others. Castle was anything but sheepish.

"We're fine, daddy." Alexis furrowed her brow, then amended her previous statement by adding, "Or as fine as one can be after...what happened." She finished off with a slight falter, not quite able to put a name to what had occurred a few days prior.

"It's just...it was our neighbor. I'm trying to wrap my head around the whole thing, but for our own neighbor to have something to do with all of this...it's surreal," he admitted.

"Surreal is precisely the word I'd use," Martha added, before taking a sip of water.

"See?" Castle motioned to his mother. Before anyone else could say or do anything, Castle's cellphone rang, and he immediately answered it. "Did he talk? Tell me he talked, a lot. Or that he confessed and that you're taking him to booking, and he's going away-"

"Castle," Kate interrupted. "You're doing that thing I'd told you to stop doing."

Confused, Castle looked down at himself, then looked around. "What?"

"Talking," she stated, before breezing forward in the conversation seamlessly. "He tried to tell us that he wasn't there that night, but we know he was. He already has pending drug charges on him, so he'll be going away from several months, throw in a little intimidation of a witness/victim, and he'll be out of your immaculate hair for a while. Alexis or Martha may have to testify at his hearing, as will you."

"That's good news, isn't it?" he asked, unsure. Before adding in a low voice, "And I didn't know you thought I had immaculate hair, Detective."

"Shut up, Castle," she grumbled. "And for the most part, yeah it's good news. The only bad part, really, is that although we know he had something to do with the home invasion, maybe as the lookout, or the actual planner, he didn't actually go in."

"So, who did?" Castle ground out, placing a hand on the kitchen counter. Alexis and Martha watched him, exchanging looks.

"We don't know."

"Does _he_?" he nearly growled.

"If he does, he isn't squealing Castle."

"So, squeeze him harder."

"Trust me," she scoffed, "We squeezed."

Castle scrunched his face up, much like a child, then took a deep breath. When he finally released it, he nodded and said into the cell, "Okay. Thanks."

"Uh, no problem." She sounded taken-aback. "Anyway, that officer posted outside your door is spending the night, until I get there tomorrow morning. Take it easy, okay Castle?"

"Richard Castle, take it easy?" he snorted, back to his old self.

"You're right..." Beckett trailed off. "I'll call you later, to check up."

"Okay, bye." He hung up and looked at his family. "He's going away, and he clearly knows something, but he won't give it up."

"So? What does that mean for us?" Alexis asked.

"It means that it might take awhile, but things are going to get to normal," Castle replied, meeting her eyes steadily. He offered a reassuring smile.

Martha laughed outright, causing the others to turn to her in questioning.

"Mother?"

"Normal?" She repeated, then laughed again, holding her stomach.

Alexis smiled widely, and giggled, while Castle threw his hands up in the air and walked way, a grin on his face.

"How about a movie?" Castle suggested, before holding up a deck of cards. "Or some poker."

Alexis ran over to the shelf holding all their dvds, and quickly pulled out The First Daughter wordlessly. Castle couldn't protest when she widened her blue eyes, and pouted her lower lip. He gently pulled her ear, and said, "Hope your face gets stuck like that," as he put the movie in and settled on the couch. Alexis simply flicked his nose, and giggled at his twisted expression.

"No change," she remarked.

He simply pouted as Martha laughed.

* * *

**TBC...**

**Please, please review.**

**And thank you for all the alerts, and everything else so far. I truly appreciate them!  
**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: More like a filler chapter than anything. Sorry.**

* * *

Several weeks had gone by, and everything was returning back to as normal as they could possibly be. With a new alarm system installed, the Castle family was feeling safer and safer by the day. Castle had decided he felt comfortable enough to finally leave his mother and daughter home alone, and managed to return to work with Beckett, much to her playful disdain.

After a few more weeks of nothingness, Martha had decided that she too would like to be able to leave the house without having to worry about leaving Alexis home alone for a handful of hours. Alexis had wholeheartedly agreed, believing it truly was time to move on with their semi-regular lives.

One night, while Martha was out on the town with Chet, and Castle was working a case with Beckett, Alexis sat in her room and contently read a book. A sound downstairs made her jump, but she shook her head and ignored it. "If anyone gets inside, the alarm will go off," she muttered to herself.

Several minutes later, the sound made her start again, but instead of shrugging it off, she clutched her book to her chest in fear. Alexis could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and tightly closed her eyes.

"It's nothing," she repeated to herself, eyes still squeezed shut. When she heard the sound again, something akin to a body moving around, she jumped off the bed and grabbed her cellphone. She quickly dialed 911, but didn't push send. Alexis crept towards her door, and stood. Waiting. Listening.

After nothing happened, she leaned against the door jamb and slid to the floor, body shivering in fear. Her finger was still poised above the send button. She strained her ears, hoping to catch the sound again, but she knew it was just her mind playing tricks on her. When Alexis finally pulled herself together, she slowly tiptoed downstairs. When she made it to the landing, she opened her eyes, that she wasn't aware she squeezed shut once again, and peered around.

Her shoulders sagged in relief when she saw the source of the noise. A pigeon was flapping its wings against the bay window of the kitchen, and her already terrified mind had managed to convince her it was something, or someone, else. She quickly erased the three numbers she dialed, and instead texted her father.

_When are you coming home?_

She didn't have to wait long for his reply.

_Soon. Why? Everything okay?_

Alexis once again sighed with relief, and even smiled, as she responded to her worried father.

_I'm okay. Just a little jumpy._

Her phone vibrated quickly.

_On my way home. See you very soon._

Despite not wanting to seem like the very scared child she was acting like, Alexis grinned with happiness, and responded with "Okay."

She padded over to the living room couch, and tucked her legs underneath her.

Apparently she wasn't as over the entire thing as she thought.

* * *

**TBC...**

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**Thanks again, everyone.  
**


	13. Chapter 13

_Apparently she wasn't as over the entire thing as she thought.

* * *

_

Castle jerked awake with a snort, before groaning in pain. His neck was resting at an odd angle, and the heavy weight of his daughter sprawled across his chest didn't help any either. He gently moved away some fiery red strands of hair away from her face, and smiled warmly at her peaceful expression. He studied her a little longer, before the uncomfortable position finally got to him.

"Alexis? Honey?" he touched her shoulder gently, startled when she snapped awake with a small yelp and pushed herself away from him.

"Hey, hey, hey...it's me," he tried gently, attempting a reassuring smile. "Are you okay?"

"Daddy?" she whispered, before falling back into his lap with a sigh. "I thought you were someone else."

"I know," Castle claimed, raking a hand through her hair.

"I'm sorry I freaked," she mumbled into his shirt.

Castle could only nod, unsure of what he could possibly say. He truly was at a loss of words.

"I'm sorry," he added, before pulling her away and looking her in the eye. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Alexis wanted to protest, but she was too tired to say anything else but, "I know, dad."

He nodded firmly, before patting her back. "I think it's time for you to go to bed," he said. He perked an eyebrow and added, "Your real bed."

"But you're so cuddly," Alexis whined playfully, poking at her father's stomach.

"Ha, ha, _ha_," Castle retorted sarcastically, "Very funny."

She rolled her eyes, and added one last poke, before pulling herself up into a sitting position next to her father. Stretching her arms above, she tried to stifle a big yawn before nodding in concession. "Real bed it is."

"Good." He watched as she slowly lumbered to her feet, and then practically dragged herself up the stairs. "Night," he called out.

"Night."

Castle scrubbed at his tired eyes with the palms of his hands, and winced at the prickly stubble on his face. He hadn't slept well so far that night, especially since he realized that Alexis was still worried about her safety. He had been so scared when he received her texts.

_When are you coming home?_

_Just a little jumpy._

He had rushed home as fast as possible, and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when he realized that the sound in her story was only a flapping pigeon in the window. It could have been anything, or anyone, and that terrified Castle.

He glanced at his watch and groaned. _Forget work,_ he thought to himself, before inspiration struck him and made him sit up a little straighter. _Beckett._

"Beckett," he said into the phone, his voice light. "I have a big favor to ask of you."

"Castle? Do you have _any_ idea what time it is?"

"Actually, yes I do."

"Of course," she groaned, before taking an audible deep breath and nearly demanding, "What?"

"Can you come by and talk to Alexis for me?" he asked quickly, hope in his chest. He felt like a little kid asking Santa for his Red Ryder BB Gun.

"What? Is she okay?" Beckett's tone of voice changed to one of exhaustion, to one of worry.

"Huh? Oh, no, she's okay, I mean she's not okay but-"

"Castle!" the firm tone of voice stopped him mid tirade. "Is she okay?"

"Physically speaking, yes."

"So you want me to talk to her about what happened? Is that what you're asking?"

"Yes," he said, sounding relieved.

"Okay...wait...you couldn't have called tomorrow?" She nearly growled into the phone when she heard his swallow through the line.

"Uh..." He could practically see her rolling her eyes in annoyance right now.

"Goodnight, Castle."

The dial tone filled Castle's ear.

"Night, Beckett."

He put the phone down, and looked at it. Well, despite her annoyance with him (but that wasn't new was it?) he was glad she agreed to speak with his daughter. He felt that Alexis would open up more with someone she was comfortable and familiar with, rather than some head-shrinker that only cared about the amount of green in his pocket.

Castle sighed heavily and shook his head. His little girl shouldn't be talking to anyone, because nothing should have happened.

_Damn those men._

The next evening, Castle let Kate into his home with a dramatic sweep of his arm.

"Cute," she said, her tone lightly dusted with sarcasm.

"Thanks," he replied quickly, offering her a cheeky grin.

She rolled her eyes before getting to business. "Is she upstairs?"

"Yes."

"Does she know I'm here?"

"Nope."

Kate bit her bottom lip. "Are you staying here?"

"Well, yeah, unless..." he trailed off, a little unsure.

"I think you should go," she said with a casual shrug. "Even just knowing you're in the house may prevent Alexis from opening up."

"Oh, okay." Castle looked down at his shoes, then back at her. "Any ideas?"

"Call up Esposito and Ryan; I'm sure they'd love it if you took them out for a night on the town."

Castle smirked. "Jealous?"

"Not at all," she scoffed, and then rolled her eyes again. He was such a twelve-year-old.

He looked at his watch, and nodded. "Okay, sure. I'll go out with the guys. Anything I can do before I go?"

Kate looked around before shaking her head. "Nope. Have fun."

"Always," he grinned.

"Of course."

Castle gathered up his jacket, and left the house with his cell pressed up against his ear. Kate looked around, slightly uncomfortable, but shucked her gray jacket and grabbed two water bottles from the fridge, before heading upstairs. She attempted to make a little bit of noise, loud enough to alert Alexis, but not to scare her.

Before she reached the teen's door, it flung open and a pillow flew at her head.

"I have mace!" the younger girl cried out, before realizing who was in front of her, with a puzzled expression on her face and wielding two water bottles like a shield. "Kate?"

"Warrior woman?"

Alexis smiled at the light jest, and hugged Kate. The older woman raised the bottles above her head to accept the hug, although still uncomfortable with the physical contact. Alexis stepped back and brushed some of her red hair away from her eyes.

"What are you doing here? Does dad know you're here?" Alexis asked, entering her room and flopping on her bed.

Kate followed behind her, and placed the beverages on the night stand. She sat next to Alexis, and looked at her. The younger girl looked tired, but happy to see her.

"Yes, your dad invited me. I'm here to talk to you. See how you're doing, you know?" she gently patted Alexis' knee.

Alexis looked confused, before her expression melted into one of understanding. "I'm fine, Kate, really."

Kate tilted her head to the side, as if to show she didn't really believe the statement.

"Okay," Alexis sighed, before lowering her eyes to the floor and picking at a piece of string on the comforter. "Maybe I'm not _fine_."

"Yeah?" Kate kicked off her heels, reached for a bottle and cracked the seal. She offered it to Alexis, who took it with a quiet "Thanks" and sipped some. She did the same with the other, before taking a gulp of it on her own. Kate sat Indian-style on the teen's bed, faced her and said, "I want you to do something for me, if you want. Okay?"

"Sure," Alexis responded, curiously.

"I want you to sit here and think, for a minute. After that minute, I'm going to ask you a question. Easy enough?"

"Okay."

"Go."

The room was nearly silent aside from the _tick-tocking_ of a nearby clock and the intertwined sounds of their soft breathing. A minute later Kate looked Alexis in the eye and asked, "How do you feel?"

Without hesitating, Alexis said, "Scared."

"That all?"

"Paranoid. Worried. I'm always jumpy, and thinking that every sound I hear is them coming back to get me."

"Okay." Kate smiled and nodded. "That's good."

Alexis furrowed her brow in that adorably innocent way she did, and questioned, "It is?"

"Yes. You're feeling absolutely normal right now."

The furrow in the teen's brow deepened. _God, she looks like her father. _"I am?"

"For someone who has been through a traumatic experience? You are." Kate scooted a little closer. "Now that we know how you truly feel, is there anything you want to tell me about? About anything," she quickly added. "It can be anything you want to talk about."

Alexis tilted her head to the side, and then smiled. "I got an A-plus on my math exam today."

Kate returned the smile. "That's great! I was never really good at math."

"I'm more of an English person, and I think we both know why," Alexis joked, and they both shared a small laugh. "Runs in the blood, I guess."

The two continued to talk, deep into the night, and even after Castle returned home, ducked in to check on them and went to bed, the two girls spoke about everything and anything they could. They laughed, and they even cried as Alexis shared some more of her feelings about the invasion. She was terrified about losing her family, and Beckett shared some stories about her late mother.

Finally, Kate bid the teen a good night with a strong hug and a peck on the forehead. Alexis thanked her profusely for being there and listening, before snuggling into the thick covers and drifting off into a deep sleep.

Kate yawned widely, and made her way downstairs as quietly as she could.

"Beckett?" a sleep-worn voice spoke out roughly.

"Go back to bed, Castle. I'll let myself out." She whispered back.

"What? No."

There was a heavy beat before he said it.

"Stay."

Kate froze on the stairs, emotionally compromised. She couldn't stay, she couldn't.

"Come on, nothing sexual about it. It's like me sleeping over at your place. Come on." His voice was still hushed, but was becoming clearer as the minutes ticked by.

Kate closed her eyes. She took a deep breath. Then turned on her heel and passed him on the way to his bedroom. "If I wake up to you cuddling me, we're going to have serious problems Castle."

Castle smiled widely before following her to bed.

* * *

**TBC...**

**Thank you so far!**

**Please review, I appreciate them!  
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	14. Chapter 14

Kate slowly awoke from her deep sleep with blurry eyes, attempting to focus on the figure before her as the rest of her senses caught up. She felt warm and comfortable, she gathered that much. From what she could tell, she was in someone's arms...or vice versa.

Pulling her head back slightly, she attempted to shake her head hard enough to move the wild strands of hair away from her eyes, without waking the man in front of her. When she managed to do so, she bit her bottom lip and grimaced. Sure enough, she and Rick Castle were...cuddling. However, she knew if he awoke and saw them in this current position, she couldn't deny the fact that she was reciprocating the cuddle. So as slowly and quietly as possible, Kate began to untangle her limbs from his, biting her bottom lip and casting weary looks at his face in an attempt to catch any signs of his awakening.

After what felt like an hour, Kate managed to remove one arm from underneath Castle's solid body without waking up. With an exasperated sigh, she rolled her eyes and blew a few strands of loose hair out of her eyes before trying to remove her pinned left leg next. A snuffle from him caused her to freeze, and she couldn't help darting her eyes wildly to his slack face.

"Oh, for Pete's sake," she moaned underneath her breath. She plopped her head back down onto the pillow and closed her eyes. When she reopened them, she found herself staring into twinkling, blue orbs. "Crap."

"Good morning, sunshine," he said, the pure amusement and joy in his voice unmistakable. Castle moved enough to prop his head up with his hand, but didn't bother to remove his entangled legs from her own. He only smirked.

Kate narrowed her eyes, but said nothing.

"Sleep well?" he asked.

"Shut up."

"Not a morning person, I see," he claimed, the amusement doubling with each passing second in his tone of voice. "Not surprised, really."

Rather than wasting her breath with a reply she knew was going to be ignored and responded by another so-called 'amusing' comment, Kate sighed heavily into the pillow and closed her eyes again.

"So, what's the game plan?"

She looked up in confusion.

He tilted his head to the side, smiling so that a dimple accented his cheek, and repeated, "Game plan? Today? And, by the way, your hair looks very good like that. All mussed up and wild." He grinned widely. "Makes you look," he paused and continued delicately, "Cute."

Kate frowned, furrowed her brow, made a small groan of annoyance, and extracted her limbs jerkily from his own. She pretended not to feel the loss of his warmth or weight or the comfort she had told herself she didn't feel, and his small frown of disappointment.

When she stood by the side of the bed and looked down at his prone figure with his stubble covered cheeks, mussed and untamed hair sticking up, and slightly parted lips as he stared up at her with his wide blue eyes, she ignored the bolt of desire that she felt and shook her head.

"My plan is to take a shower, and get some very strong and powerful coffee."

He sat up and rested his back against the headboard, allowing the white sheets to pool around his nearly exposed waist. She diverted her gaze quickly.

"I can help you with the latter," he said quickly before shooting her a lazy grin and adding, "Or both."

She rolled her eyes in mock disgust and turned away. "Coffee, Castle. Now."

When she reached the bathroom, and was about to close the door, she heard him call out, "You totally cuddled me!"

Kate responded with an audible and frustrated sigh, and slamming of the door.

* * *

An hour later, Kate cradled a much need cup of coffee at the kitchen counter. The memory of the position she woke up in made her moan in embarrassment, and sink her head to her mug.

Castle strode in at that moment dressed casually in jeans and a plain, black sweatshirt. He smiled as he rounded the counter on the opposite of her and said, "Must be a _good_ memory."

Kate gave him a light glare, and took a sip of her hot coffee.

After he poured a good amount of the brew in his own mug, he rested his arms on the counter top and leveled his gaze in her direction, sipping from his mug every few moments. Finally he stood a little straighter and lightly cleared his throat. "Hey, Beckett-"

Her head snapped up quickly, and he faltered in his speech.

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable or anything," he stated, a half smile on his face as he tried to assuage any uncomfortable feelings she may have had with his usual charm and humor.

"Don't worry about it, Castle." She offered him a little smile of her own.

After a comfortable silence, he looked at his watch then upstairs. "Weird. Alexis is usually up and pestering me about breakfast right about now."

Kate shrugged. "Maybe she's exhausted after, well, you know."

Castle's lips turned downward a little, and he solemnly replied, "Yeah. Maybe."

After draining the last bit of coffee in her mug, Kate sat on the stool, arms folded on the counter, and looked around a little uncomfortably. Castle began to drum his fingers. As her own curled around her now empty mug, she watched his. They were long, elegant fingers. A writer's fingers. She felt the urge to reach forward to see if they felt as soft as they looked right then. Kate looked up slowly, and once again was met with startling blue eyes.

Silently they looked at one another with soft expressions, neither speaking but both content with that. This was simple, uncomplicated. Words only muddled everything up further. Which, for a writer, was especially easy to do. More especially, for Richard Castle.

He looked down at their hands, resting side by side without touching on the counter. When he looked up again and met her brown eyes, he opened his mouth to speak. "Kate, I-"

But his words only muddled everything up further in her mind. She slipped her hand off the counter and avoided his gaze somewhat embarrassed, thankful for the sound of Alexis' footsteps trotting down the stairs. She approached the two adults with a small, shy smile.

"Morning," she said softly, greeting Kate with a hug and her father with a peck on the cheek. She went to the fridge, pulled out a carton of orange juice and thanked her father when he pulled down a glass from the cabinet and handed it to her.

After taking a healthy gulp, she set her glass down and looked at the two expectantly. "What's going on?"

"What? Nothing," her father assured her, too quickly for her tastes but she let it go with a sidelong look.

Kate only offered the teen a polite smile.

"Anything on the agenda today?" Alexis asked her father.

He raised his eyebrows and cocked a shoulder. "Not really, no. Is there anything you'd like to do?" He glanced over at Beckett, then looked away.

Alexis tilted her head to the side in thought, not missing her father's look to his partner. "How about we go out? All of us."

Kate blinked and pulled her head back, halfway through saying, "Oh, no. I've already imposed enough as it is," when Castle chimed in with, "Of course! Anyplace specific in mind?"

However his daughter ignored his question when she turned to face Beckett fully, half astonished. "Imposing? You? Not in a million years."

Castle nodded rigorously. "A billion."

After a beat, the red head turned towards her father again and offered, "How about a movie? Or we can eat out?"

"Why not both?" Her father asked, raising his hands and shrugging. Alexis smiled and nodded, her dimples reminding Kate of this morning, so when the two Castles looked at her expectantly she visibly started and said, "Right, yes, food. Uh, movie. Great," she finished awkwardly with a smile.

Alexis' smile widened, and she gave her father a quick hug that he reciprocated wholeheartedly, before bounding upstairs. Alone once again, the two adults looked at one another before Castle rounded the counter and stood next to her. He cleared his throat, and made as if to move away before he slowly turned and placed his hand gently on her shoulder.

"I'm glad you stayed," he said warmly, before removing his hand slowly and moving away towards the stairs.

Kate smiled and said to herself, "Me too."

She slid off the stool and followed after him.

* * *

**TBC...**

**Sorry for the long wait, but between the school year **

**wrapping up ,work ,and my DEP obligations, life has been a little hectic. **

**Please review!**


	15. Chapter 15

Castle solemnly inserted the key into the door, avoiding the eyes of both Beckett and Alexis. His head ached with all of his thoughts, and all of his emotions. He felt helpless, guilty, distressed, and angry. His family went through something awful, something traumatic, and the men who did it were still free. And his family was still suffering.

Castle set his jaw, and pushed the door open, ignoring how it bounced against the wall. The two woman walked past him, both silent. Alexis, her cheeks red and her eyes still puffy from crying, bit her bottom lip and hurried up the stairs. Castle hung his head, and sighed heavily.

"Castle," Kate began, watching as he closed the door with more care than he did opening it. "You need to relax."

His nostrils flared and he gave her a look that clearly said, "Don't."

Lunch came and went without a hitch. Alexis found herself watching her father's interactions with Kate; Smiling whenever her father would furtively sneak glances at the cop and grin to himself. She also noted that Kate did the same, and that the two walked relatively close to one another. But then again the sidewalks were busy and they had little room to maneuver.

As they made their way to the theater, Castle's arm would occasionally lift up as if to place a hand on Kate's lower back or to wrap it around her waist, but it always drooped slowly back to his side. Alexis shook her head and walked ahead of the pair.

"Come on you two, we'll be late." She cast them a cheeky, little smile.

Castle looked at his watch and frowned. "At this pace, we'll be there-" he stopped, breathed on his watch and wiped it with the sleeve of his opposite arm and deepened his frown. "An hour early."

Kate chuckled softly and rolled her eyes. "Come on, Castle."

His eyes lit up at her acknowledgment and he proceeded to follow her with a stupid grin on his face. They had decided to watch a movie they have never heard of, but was starting at the time they arrived at the theater. After the customary popcorn, candy, and soda stop they entered the dark already dark theater and clumsily made their way to a sparsely empty row of seats.

A few minutes into the film, Castle's good mood was beginning to diminish and he looked over to his daughter several times, noting her trembling lips even in the dark room.

Hostages. They were watching a movie about a gunman invading a family's home, and holding them hostage.

It was too much for the teen to handle, and she quickly looked over at her father. When their eyes met, and he noted her tearful expression, he quickly passed the confused detective and gently tugged Alexis out of her seat. Beckett needed only a second to figure out what had happened, and she followed after the retreating pair.

Now Beckett and Castle stood uncomfortably in the latter's home.

Castle looked sorrowfully at Beckett before turning his back and walking towards the kitchen.

"Drink?" he asked, his voice devoid of his usual boisterous emotion.

"Uh, sure," she replied. She watched him for a moment before slowly making her way towards the living room and making herself comfortable on the couch. She kicked off her shoes, curled her legs underneath her, and propped her elbow onto the arm of the couch. Kate stared off into space, feeling guilty but knowing it wasn't completely rational.

Placing the tip of her thumb between her lips, she sat in thought until Castle gently nudged her propped elbow and waved the glass of alcohol in his hand. She took it with a murmured thanks.

Castle sat beside her, on the opposite end of the couch. He looked lost, and sad, yet his face held a tinge of anger. Beckett wondered who he was angry at. Himself?

After a few sips of the liquid courage, Castle turned to face her and shook his head. "I'm an idiot," he grumbled.

"So?" She said it seriously, but retained a hint of humor.

"I should have checked what the film was about, I should have asked her what she wanted to see, I-" Castle had begun to lean forward, his voice growing slightly higher and higher in his frustration.

Beckett cut him off. "Castle."

Her firm tone made him pause. When he met her eyes, she continued. "It's not your fault." He started to rear his head back, fully prepared to argue her claim, but she pushed onward. "None of us bothered to ask or find out, and we all willingly went in to watch it. Nobody forced us."

Castle looked away.

Beckett shifted around until she too was sitting upright. She placed her hand on his knee, and waited till he slowly looked over at it. He looked up and met her eyes, his own bright with emotion.

"None of this is your fault."

"I feel like it is," he replied, his voice thick and foreign to his ears.

"I know," she sighed, her hand tightening on his knee, "And nothing I say will convince you otherwise."

He merely shrugged.

After a brief moment of silence, Castle took a long sip from his glass and asked, "What did she say to you?"

Confused, Kate pulled her hand away and placed it in her lap. "Who?"

"Alexis." He waited a beat. "Last night."

Kate took a deep breath, pondering her next words carefully, before shaking her head and replying, "I'm not going to tell you."

She looked up long enough to see an expression of anger and hurt flashing across his face.

"She's my daughter," he stated firmly, brow furrowed deeply.

"Exactly. It's not my place to tell you. It's hers."

He opened his mouth to retaliate before he visibly deflated and his broad shoulders drooped so low that he hunched low in his seat, cradling the glass in both of his hands.

"How do I even approach her? How do I even bring that topic up?" His closed his eyes. "What do I say?"

Kate once again placed her hand on his knee, to get his attention. When she was certain she had it, she said sternly, "Do not beat around the bush. She's a smart, young woman, Castle, so treat her like one. Do _not_," she stressed, "Treat her with kid-gloves."

"Right," he breathed, blinking drowsily as he filed the tips she gave him. "Right. Thanks."

She nodded and pulled away, inspecting her now empty glass.

"How about a refill?" she asked, gently prying his own empty glass from his hands without much resistance. He mumbled noncommittally.

By the time she returned, Castle had slouched further in his seat. Concerned, she quickly placed the two drinks down and rounded the couch. She paused when she realized that he had fallen asleep. She couldn't blame him. When she was emotionally stressed as he was, she too couldn't refrain from being exhausted beyond reason.

After the late night pillow talk with Alexis, Kate also couldn't stop herself from emitting a yawn. She looked around the living room, spotted the blanket on the back of the couch, and happily grabbed it. Holding the throw pillow that had been resting behind her back the entire time, she once again looked about and finally rested on the sleeping Castle. Several minutes of warring with herself later, she finally but cautiously placed the pillow on his lap and draped the blanket over herself. Snuggling into his warmth, she offered another small yawn and slowly drifted off to sleep.

"I'm gonna pay for this later," she mumbled.

* * *

**TBC...**

**A/N: Thanks for adding this to your story alerts! **

**I would like to know what your thoughts are too, so please review! **

**Also, apologies for this chapter. Not my best, but I will do better.  
**


	16. Chapter 16

With a low groan, Castle slowly came to. He shook his head, hoping to clear the groggy fuzziness that clouded his mind, and blinked several times.

Then he froze.

That weight on his lap couldn't be what he thought it was. Or _who_ he thought it was. Slowly, he looked down and couldn't suppress a fond smile from forming. Tough-as-nails, savvy Detective Kate Beckett was softly snoring and snuffling against his thigh. He shivered delightfully.

After a few minutes of contently watching her sleep, and trying to squash wishful thinking, Castle cleared his throat. When that didn't work, he began to shift around, hoping that would wake her. To his surprise it did nothing.

_She must've been exhausted_, Castle thought to himself.

After another minute, he made a decision. With a small smile he stood suddenly, effectively tossing the sleeping detective to the ground. With a startled yelp followed by a curse, Kate looked up from the floor, blanket pooled around her lap, with a harsh glare.

"Castle," she growled.

He shrugged. "You wouldn't wake up."

"So you throw me to the floor?" She slowly stood, her eyes glittering with anger.

"I didn't throw you," he protested.

"Right," she scoffed before shaking her head.

They stood looking at one another before the smirk that was slowly spreading on Castle's face finally reached his ears.

"What?" she demanded, narrowing her eyes and crossing her arms across her chest.

"You know you're cute when you snore," he replied nonchalantly, placing his hands in his pockets.

A blush spread across her cheeks. Unable to respond, she brushed past him and entered the kitchen. He followed closely behind.

"Seriously," he continued, amusement clear in his tone of voice. "And you snuffle too."

Kate paused by the fridge, in the process of getting a bottle of water out, and shook her head. She was going to allow this. If it took his mind off of Alexis and the movie incident, then she would allow him to have this reprieve before they had to deal with it all over again.

But she could see he didn't forget. She could see the tenseness in his shoulders, the dark rings underneath his eyes. Her expression softened.

"Castle."

The tone her in her voice stopped him, and suddenly he looked exhausted all over again. His smile faltered as he took a seat at the counter. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the countertop as he laced his fingers together, and lowered his head. When he spoke, his voice was low and full of emotion that he attempted to keep in check.

"She's my _daughter_."

The change in attitude was swift, but she knew it would come back to this, and she was sorry for it.

"I know."

"I can't stand seeing her like this."

Kate rounded the counter and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It will get better," she said, deliberately stressing each word.

"How? When?" His eyes snapped up to meet hers, and she was momentarily startled by the sharp shine to them. Was he holding back tears? Were his eyes always this intensely blue?

"I don't know what to do here, Kate, tell me what to do." His voice was getting lower and thicker with each word, until he needed to turned away and avoid her gaze.

How she wished they were back to joking and forgetting.

"Listen to me, Rick." She waited until he hesitantly met her eyes again. "I don't know how, I don't know when, but it will get better. We will catch the sons of bitches who did this."

He slowly nodded. "I know," he nearly whispered. "Thank you."

She smiled in lieu of a response. When he returned it, she knew the moment was over. Especially when he said, "You know you drool too."

Kate rolled her eyes, gently slapped his shoulder, and walked away. With her back turned to him, she allowed her smile to droop slightly. As annoying as Castle could be, she found him endearingly charming and amusing. She couldn't help feeling fond of him despite her attempts to hide and fight it.

When she reached the couch she stooped over and picked up the blanket, carefully placing it over the arm. She unscrewed the cap of her bottle, took a long sip, and sighed contently. She rolled her neck, trying to get rid of the stiffness she felt there.

Suddenly a pair of smooth, warm hands were placed on either side of her neck and began to massage the tense muscle there. Kate froze until the knots began to loosen, then she sighed again and unconsciously leaned back into Castle's body.

"God, Castle," she groaned, closing her eyes.

Unbeknownst to her, Castle nearly stopped and groaned himself. Controlling himself, he continued until he felt the last of the knots go away underneath his hands. When he finished, he pulled away and settled himself on the couch.

Feeling awkward, Kate slowly turned and placed a hand where his were just at. "Thanks," she mumbled.

"No problem," he said, giving her a dimpled smile. After a beat, he motioned to his lap and added, "You know, my leg's kind of cramped up-"

"Castle!" she interrupted him, sending him a mock glare.

He only innocently smiled back up at her. "What? No quid pro quo?"

"In this case? I don't think so."

Being back in the familiar territory of humor set Kate at ease. This man was infuriating sometimes.

"Aw, that wounds me detective." He pouted, and Kate ignored the urge to place a kiss on those soft looking lips.

Shaking her head, as if that would stop her errant thoughts, she plopped down at the opposite end of the couch and brought her legs underneath once again. After another swing of water, she turned to him and asked, "What time is it anyway?"

Raising a brow, Castle glanced at his watch. "1:30, why?"

It was her turn to raise a brow. "In the _morning_?"

"Yeah, I guess." His face was blank, if not slightly confused.

"Must've have slept longer than I thought. I should be heading home," she started to get up, but stopped when he began to move forward too. "I have to work tomorrow, Castle."

"Well," he began, "Maybe you could possibly, I mean if you're okay with it, stay. Here. Again." He looked over at her, boyish innocence written all over his handsome face.

"And wear what? The same clothes? I don't think so, Castle." Once again she tried to get up. This time his hand shot out and gently grabbed her wrist.

"I, uh, sorry." He released it sheepishly when she furrowed her brow and looked down at his hand. "You're right."

Kate said nothing, only stood and looked back down at him. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

He didn't meet her eyes, but looked up anyway. "Yeah. Tomorrow."

Resisting yet another urge to show him some sort of physical attraction or affection, she smiled softly and walked away. She heard him stand and follow behind, to let her out she presumed. When she reached the front door, she realized she left her keys on the coffee table and started to turn around. She stopped abruptly. She was nearly nose to nose with Castle, and his eyes never looked so wide or his lips so tempting. She opened and shut her mouth several times before her mind went blank.

He had kissed her.

Richard Castle had just kissed her.

It was soft, slow, and was still happening even as she stood stock still and thought over and over again that she should push him away, she should stop him, tell him off, do anything. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his waist, felt him hum in approval and do the same. She told herself to pull away, but her mouth opened and deepened the kiss.

She didn't realize they were moving until her back hit the door. At this point, his hands had trailed their way to her face, and now cupped her head. His thumbs brushed her cheeks. Finally, with a ragged moan, he pulled away and rested his forehead against hers.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, closing his eyes.

She closed her own eyes and listened to his labored breathing. Suddenly the thought of losing him, the thought that he could have died when those men came and invaded his home, had her feeling a sense of unforeseeable dread. She shook her head, pulled away slowly, and looked up at him.

"I need to go," she whispered, her own voice sounded foreign to her ears.

She brushed past him, snatched her keys up, and opened the front door before he could reply. When she had stepped into the hall, he called out, "Kate, wait. Please."

She turned around, still unable to fully meet his eyes.

"Don't go."

She wanted to stay. She wanted to hug him, kiss him, punch him, and love him. But she couldn't. She shouldn't.

"I'm sorry," she said, so softly it was almost inaudible. Glancing away, she turned to leave again. "I'll see you tomorrow."

She left before he could say anything else, but the look of sadness on his face burned itself into her brain. The last sound she heard was the door closing softly behind her, and the click of the lock setting in place.

* * *

**TBC...**

**I was going to try and not ship them in this story, but I really can't help myself. **

**Anyway, I will be trying to get back to the main story, but I couldn't help the Caskett detour.**

**Once again, please, please, please review and let me know how I'm doing. **

**Thank you to those who have done so, and to those who have added this to their favs, and alerts.**


	17. Chapter 17

Castle stood behind the closed door, lost in thought. His fingertips rested against his lips, still warm from the recent kiss he had shared with Beckett.

Kate.

He sighed and let his arm drop to his side.

Risking a glance at his watch and noting the time, Castle shook his head slightly and cast one last mournful look at the door before turning away and striding towards his office. He needed to sit down and clear his head.

He also needed alcohol.

After a quick detour for a single glass and an unopened bottle of scotch, he found himself enclosed in his office; a single lamp on his desk his only light source. After the first two scotches burned their way down his throat, he poured another but didn't race to drink it. Instead, he traced the rim with one finger and stared off into space.

He had kissed her.

Castle closed his eyes and grimaced.

What was he _thinking_?

He leaned back into his chair and ground the palms of his hands against his eyes.

She did say she'd see him tomorrow...

He perked at that thought and sat up a little straighter.

If he was going to salvage whatever damage he may have caused to their partnership then he had better get to bed and rest as much as he can.

He wandered the apartment, checking each window and door was locked. When he finally prepared for the night, he placed a quick kiss on his sleeping daughter's forehead and brushed a strand of hair away from her mouth before heading to his own bed.

As he lay there and looked up at the ceiling, he smiled to himself and closed his eyes.

_Need to get some sleep._

"Want to look good," he muttered underneath his breath.

* * *

He had kissed her.

What had he been _thinking_?

Beckett leaned against the door of Castle's apartment, throwing her head back. The resulting thud made her freeze. When he didn't fling the door open, she sighed heavily and pulled herself away.

You didn't exactly _not _kiss him back, she thought to herself begrudgingly.

"You just need to get home and get some sleep," she told herself quietly on the way down in the elevator.

Cool New York air caressed her cheek and gathered her hair as she strode to her car, eager to get home. She fumbled with the keys, cursed softly as she dropped them twice, and peeled away from the curb with only the slightest of glances over her shoulder for oncoming traffic.

"Stupid Castle," she said aloud. The little smile on her face couldn't be stopped from forming, but she shook her head and continued to call Castle childish names. She wanted to turn around and wrap her arms around that man and kiss him senseless.

She wanted to stop playing the part of the little girl with pigtails that constantly got teased on the playground by the boy who crushed on her and wanted to be the woman who knew what she wanted, and did whatever it took to get it without fear or hesitation.

At the first red light she came to, Kate rested her forehead against the steering wheel and sighed heavily once again.

By the time she arrived home, she simply wanted to change her clothes and go to sleep. When she was ready and feeling somewhat refreshed, she lie in her bed and stared up at the ceiling.

_Soft lips..._

_ Blue eyes..._

_ Wandering hands..._

_Shut up..._

Kate smacked her forehead with her hand, squeezed her eyes shut, and rolled to her side.

It was going to be a long night.

She wanted to be sure she looked well rested when she saw him again tomorrow.

* * *

Alexis jerked awake with a small whimper. She looked around wildly, looking for dark silhouettes in her bedroom. Finding none, she felt herself begin relaxing. Soft voices caught her attention, but before she could freeze up and start panic again, she recognized the first voice as her father's. Feeling comforted by the fact, she calmed once again and strained to hear the other voice.

Was that Beckett? Why was she still here?

Alexis carefully extracted herself from her blankets and tiptoed towards her door. When her ear-to-the-door technique didn't work, she opened it slowly and crept down the hall until she reached the top of the stairs.

"Well...Maybe you could possibly, I mean if you're okay with it, stay. Here. Again."

Again? Had she slept here before? Alexis' mouth widened as a smile formed on her face. That morning, Kate had been there already.

"And wear what? The same clothes? I don't think so, Castle."

There was some movement, rustling of clothing before her father's voice quickly said, "I, uh, sorry. You're right."

After a brief pause, Kate said, "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah. Tomorrow."

There was more movement, so Alexis crept down a few stairs before she quickly realized Kate was now standing near the door, and could clearly see her if she had happened to look up that way. Kate had looked down at her hand briefly, before huffing softly and turned around. Only to be face to face with her father, who had snuck up behind her.

Alexis held her breath as she watched the two stare at one another.

She quickly covered her mouth to stifle any noise as her father leaned down and kissed the shocked detective. It was obvious Beckett had no idea what to do, until she relented and wrapped her arms around him, he doing the same back.

The young teen watched as the two adults bumped against the door, and her father held Kate's face in his hands, brushing her cheeks with his thumbs. Before she could see anymore, Alexis closed her eyes and hurried up the stairs as quietly as she came down. The last thing she heard was her father saying, "I'm sorry."

Alexis climbed into bed and jerked the comforter to her chin. She quivered with excitement. Her dad finally kissed Kate! She had to squelch the urge for a small squeal. However, as the high of her happiness died down, she suddenly felt a little guilty as well. She had been spying and that didn't sit well with her.

Frowning, she closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep.

Several minutes later, after her father came in and placed a tender kiss on her forehead and brushed a stray piece of hair away from her mouth, she finally settled into a deep sleep.

* * *

**TBC...**

**Please review and let me know how I'm doing!  
**


	18. Chapter 18

The morning after.

Although it didn't follow the normal type of activity that warranted that title, it was still "the morning after" feeling that settled deep in Kate Beckett's gut as she sat at her desk, looking for all the world like a lost and confused child.

She looked down at her intertwined hands before quickly pulling them apart and laying them flat on the desk. After a minute she pulled her right hand to her mouth and placed the tip of her thumb against her lips, resisting the urge to begin gnawing on the nail.

She was nervous.

Detective Kate Beckett was nervous.

About a kiss.

She furrowed her brow and looked down at her hand before shaking her head. She folded her arms against her chest tightly.

"Morning Detective," Castle drawled as he rounded his chair, placed a cup of coffee on the desk, and sat down in one swift movement. Leaning back in his seat, he smiled easily at her and commented on her posture. "You don't always have to cross your arms you know."

Kate narrowed her eyes, and unfolded her arms. She grabbed the coffee before her, and took a long, grateful sip. After making sure the cup was place out of the elbow range, she turned slightly in her seat and glanced at him almost shyly.

"Rick-"

"Kate-"

"Yo."

"Hi, guys."

With a heavy sigh from Kate, and an eye roll from Castle, the two turned to face the smirking Esposito and cheerful Ryan. Ryan clutched the newest addition to the growing Castle novel collection in his right hand.

"What?" Beckett demanded after a beat where neither detective did or said anything but stare and grin.

"Nothing," Esposito and Ryan answered simultaneously. They looked at one another with matching expressions of amusement and walked away.

"What was _that_?" Castle asked in a low tone, leaning forward so far that he nearly brushed Beckett's arm. She almost laughed at his bemused expression and conspiratorial whisper.

"I don't know," she replied, somewhat glad that the duo had interrupted whatever conversation they were about to have. Once again she looked over at Castle, attempting to gauge where he was at with this whole new dimension to their (not) relationship. Kate placed her elbow on the desktop and cradled her head in her hand tiredly.

"Didn't sleep well?" he asked softly, and when she met his eyes and pursed her lips for a sarcastic retort, she noted his genuine concern and lack of humor.

Slightly taken-aback, she nodded. "Yeah," she said just as soft, "Something like that."

"Yeah, me either."

She saw a smile start to form on his face, but before he could reply, Esposito's raised voice caught her attention. He and Ryan quickly jumped out of their chairs.

"Beckett! We got something!" He and Ryan trotted over. Esposito held a piece of paper in his hand, and he waved it in the air like it was a winning lottery ticket. As he opened his mouth to speak, his partner stumbled beside him, tripping over his own two feet in his haste to join them. With a slight eye roll and a "Why do I put up with him?" face, Esposito turned back to face Beckett and Castle. "The APB we sent out on our boy Marcus just popped."

"Shut the front door." Beckett held out her hand, ignoring Castle's severely confused look, and snatched the paper Esposito was holding. Her lips moved as she quickly scanned the document, a small smile spreading across her face with each second. "Gotcha."

"Got what? What is that?" Castle's furrowed brow deepened even further as he motioned towards the paper.

"After Dwaine, your neighbor, was sent to the big house, we did some more diggin' around," Esposito said, subconsciously tilting his head to his partner to pick up the lead.

"And what we found were several colorful family members," Ryan added, with a light laugh. "Guess who spent a dime in Sing Sing for armed robbery?"

"Who?" Castle questioned, looking from one man to the other as if they were idiots. How could he possibly guess what he didn't know?

"Cousin Marcus Johnson," Esposito answered, somewhat sheepish after Castle's look. "Got out early on account of his good behavior," he stated, with a hint of disgust tinging his voice. "Anyway," he tapped the paper Beckett was holding, "We were going to haul his ass in for questioning, but he was in the wind."

"We assume he decided to hightail it out of his comfort zone for being a part of what happened to you," Ryan said with a mild shrug.

"So we put out an APB and waited for something to hit." Beckett smiled at him as she said this. "And that 'something' just did."

Castle sat back in his chair, mixed emotions flitting across his face. Finally he gave them a weary smile and nodded. "Thank you."

The boys nodded and offered him friendly smiles, as Beckett patted his arm and stood up, grabbing her jacket from the back of her chair. "Let's go pick him up."

They made their way towards the elevator. Beckett gently prodded Castle's side with her elbow as they followed behind Esposito and Ryan, who were squabbling about who called 'shotgun' first. "You okay, Castle?" she asked, concern evident in her tone and expression.

He smiled softly at her and nodded. "Yeah. I'm just grateful to have you guys at my back."

Beckett returned his smile in full force. "Always."

A throat being cleared made them both look up, to see Esposito biting his lip and Ryan smirking in the elevator, waiting for them to enter beside them. When Castle and Beckett finally entered, they could hear the two whispering behind them. Beckett whirled around and pointed her finger in their faces, "Shut. Up."

She quickly turned back and smiled to herself, pretending to ignore how Castle looked over his shoulder and grinned goofily at them. She could practically hear their simultaneous eye rolls and girly scoffs.

"Not cool, bro," Esposito murmured underneath his breath, while Ryan was content to just look properly chastised.

As they entered the parking garage, they walked briskly towards Beckett's assigned car, knowing full well there would be no point in arguing as to whose to take. When Beckett slid in to the driver's seat, the three men looked at one another and then back to the passenger door. After starting the car and buckling in, Beckett noticed that she was alone. With a heavy sigh, she put the passenger window down and in her authoritative voice said, "Castle, up front."

With a triumphant beam, Castle opened the car door and slid in. The others traded annoyed yet knowing looks before begrudgingly entering the car as well.

"It's not fair," Esposito said, an almost whiny air to his words.

Ryan nodded sadly and added, "He _always_ gets to sit up front."

"Maybe I'll take you boys out for ice cream later to make up for it," Castle said, turning in his seat to look at the both of them.

"Don't encourage them, Castle." Beckett smiled to herself, and looked into the rear view mirror, meeting their eyes as she drove out of the garage and onto the street.

* * *

**TBC...**

**Please Review.**


	19. Author's Note

**Author's Note: **

I'm very, very sorry for the lack of an update to this. First of all, I was in the Marine Corps briefly, but I was then medically discharged this past summer. Secondly, the real case of my home invasion wasn't going anywhere. Until now...We found out that instead of two men in my house, there was actually three (the third man was only there briefly, before fleeing.) He was caught. However, not including the man that was caught, there were SEVEN others involved.

I figured I'd share that with you all waiting for me to update. Again, I'm sorry. I've been trying to rack my head and get back into the groove, but I'm obviously having some trouble.

Once again, I apologize.


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